Automatic Blinds

Have successfully linked the Apollo Blinds to a home automation solution from http://smikbox.com. This is great for me as I had purchased the smikbox DIY solution over those offered from Samsung and Belkin because its so much cheaper and seems to do more (out of the box).
The binds use a conventional RF controller, that was designed well before the world of home automation was a popular idea,. Yet the smikbox solution managed to learn the commands from the Apollo remote and now controls the blinds, plus a whole heap of other RF and IR devices in my home,
Now I have a bunch of themes to control my home from a mobile or PC (in home or remotely), for example as I leave home the lights and power goes off, and if the westerly sun gets hot in the afternoon, the blinds shut to keep the home cool for when I return.

The cost you ask ? Blinds with remote control were worth the extra because my family gradually destroyed the last blinds by catching the cord in toys, cleaners and the like, so I should get another 10 years service from them at least. The extra cost of home automation was less than half the cost of blinds for 1 window, and the benefits are substantial, as it means we now get more use from the blinds rather than leaving them in the same position for weeks on end, I can enjoy our view at different times of the day.

Automatic Blinds